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[CNOTES]

Monday's Best Bet
April 17, 2017


NBA Playoffs Best Bet
Game 2: Indiana vs. Cleveland


Sportsbook.ag Odds: Cleveland (-8.5); Total set at 209


With all the talk after Game 1 being about the Pacers missed shot at the buzzer and who on Indiana should have taken that shot, many are failing to remember that Indiana played a hell of a game for 48 minutes and cashed an ATS ticket as sizable underdogs fairly easily.


Tonight the Pacers get another crack at this Cleveland team who still showed that their defensive issues haven't quite been resolved. Will the Pacers get over the hump with the outright win tonight, or will Cleveland hunker down and dominate Indiana like this point spread suggests?




After a 2-0 ATS start to the NBA playoffs with two outright underdog winners in Milwaukee and Chicago, let's get right to tonight's best bet on this Cavs/Pacers game.


Sportsbook.ag Best Bet: Indiana/Cleveland Under 209


The 109-108 score wasn't that uncommon for these two teams as their final three meetings of the year – all played from February or beyond – were high scoring affairs. Cleveland topped the 130+ point mark twice (one in OT) and now game between these two during that span finished with less than 217 points. So why is the 'under' the best bet tonight?


Well for one, the Game 1 shooting percentages for both teams were well above the norm as Indiana was 49.4% from the field while Cleveland came in at 53.8%. Those numbers are absurdly high for an opening game of a playoff series, let alone the opening game of the playoffs in general, and the 22 combined three-point shots made likely won't be reached tonight.


Each side has a much thorough understanding of how the other plans on attacking them and with adjustments critical to success this time of year, both sides should make some of the necessary ones to have more success defensively.


Secondly, I've already touched on the idea that Cleveland “tanked” down the stretch to avoid Chicago, and that they've stated multiple times that while there are issues defensively for them, they were in no hurry to “show their hand” and give competitors ample film to know what to expect.


For all intents and purposes the Cavs stuck to that idea in Game 1, going out there believing they could beat Indiana with their offense alone and that's exactly what happened. However, the fact that Indiana was one make away from stealing Game 1 couldn't have sat well with the Cavs and we should see their defensive intensity pick up quite a bit here.


That's not to say Cleveland will expose their cards face up after one scare, but adding a few wrinkles here and there should make life much more difficult for the Pacers this evening.


Finally, there has been quite a bit of overreaction to how Game 1 played considering many bettors got burned on that total. Game 1 opened up in the 213 range, was instantly bet down to 212 and 211, before further movement saw the game bottom out at 207.5 before a bit of money came back the other way.


With that much action on the 'under' getting burned – and it really was never in question after the 1st half – bettors are expecting a similar script to play out in Game 2 and backing the 'over' because of it.


Right now, VegasInsider.com's betting percentage numbers show about 75% of the bets on tonight's total being on the high side and it's puzzling to think that that many people who felt so strongly about the 'under' in Game 1 can flip their tune in a heartbeat because of one result.


Many of those signs and reasons behind backing an 'under' between these two teams still exist two days later, and you saw in the 4th quarter (41 points scored) that come crunch time both sides aren't afraid to lock it down.


Given how close Game 1 was, expect the defense to reach that “lock down mode” much earlier tonight as those same bettors that got burned with the 'under' in Game 1 and are now flipping to the 'over' will likely get burned again.

 

[CNOTES]

MONDAY, APRIL 17


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


IND at CLE 07:00 PM

CLE -8.5


U 209.5

MEM at SA 09:30 PM


SA -10.5


O 189.0

 

[CNOTES]

NBA Playoff Capsules
April 18, 2017


CLEVELAND (AP) Kyrie Irving scored 37 points, Kevin Love added 27 and the Cleveland Cavaliers avoided another fourth-quarter collapse in Game 2, beating the Indiana Pacers 117-111 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the series.


After squeaking out the opener by a point, LeBron James and Co. showed more intensity on defense, more swagger in general and won their 10th straight first-round game over the past three seasons.


However, they nearly blew an 18-point lead in the fourth as the Pacers got within four before Cleveland closed it out at the line.


James added 10 rebounds and seven assists, but had eight of Cleveland's 19 turnovers.


Game 3 is Thursday night.


Paul George scored 32 and Jeff Teague 23 for Indiana, which showed more fight, but now has a steep hill to climb to get back in the series. Cleveland is 12-0 when starting 2-0 in the postseason.


SPURS 96, GRIZZLIES 82


SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Kawhi Leonard had a postseason career-high 37 points and added 11 rebounds and San Antonio beat Memphis to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round series.


San Antonio led for all but 13 seconds in winning its 10th consecutive postseason game over Memphis.


Leonard finished the game 9 for 14 from the field and was 19 for 19 on free throws.


Tony Parker added 15 points for the Spurs, who had three others score in double figures.


Mike Conley scored 24 points, Zach Randolph had 18 points and Marc Gasol added 12 points for the Grizzlies.


Game 3 is Thursday night in Memphis.

 

[CNOTES]

Tuesday’s six-pack


Six batters who have come to bat with most men on base this season, and %age of those runners they knocked in:
6) Christian Yelich 41 (14.6%)
T4) Carlos Santana 42 (19.0%)
T4) Kris Bryant 42 (11.9%)
3) Carlos Correa 43 (4.7%)
2) Robinson Cano 44 (15.9%)
1) Pablo Sandoval 46 (13.0%)


*****************************


Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….

13) They ran the Boston Marathon Monday; I’m thinking it isn’t healthy to run 26 miles.


A marathon is an event that was established “…….in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens, who reported the victory.”


Unfortunately for Pheidippides, as soon as he reported the victory, he collapsed and dropped dead. Like I said, running 26 miles at once might not be good for you.


12) That said, it does take serious onions to run that far; it is demanding, both physically, mentally. Monday, a retired Marine who lost the lower part of his left leg by stepping on an IED in Afghanistan in 2011. ran on his prosthetic leg while carrying a large American flag for the entire 26.2-mile race, finishing in 5:46:13.


That is one tough human.


11) I’m probably not the best person to discuss running; if I drive 26 miles, I’m looking for the drive-thru window at Wendy’s or McDonald’s.


10) Rough start to the year for my A’s; their two best pitchers (Gray/Graveman) are both hurt already, now SS Semien has a broken wrist and is done for couple months. Not like he is Ozzie Smith or anything, but unless they bring highly touted prospect Franklin Barreto up from AAA, best they can do is move Lowrie back to SS and bring a 2B up from Nashville. Oy.


9) Toronto 4, Washington 3 OT— All three series games have gone OT, second time in Washington’s franchise history that has happened. Caps are 1-5 in those six games.


8) Cole Hamels has started three games for Texas this month; Rangers led all three games after the fifth inning. Texas bullpen, however, has allowed 14 runs in 9.2 innings in those games and Texas lost all three.


7) A 17-year old basketball prospect named Kevin Knox was offered $1.4M to play basketball for a Chinese pro team next year, but declined the offer. He’ll announce his college choice next week; most of top programs are involved.


6) Angel Hernandez is a bad umpire; he just is. You watch him work the plate and there is always a lot of crabbing by players during his games there.


5) Carlos Martínez pitched for the Cardinals in the Bronx Saturday; he lost 3-2. Martinez faced 30 batters; 19 of them either walked (8) or struck out (11).


Martinez threw 118 pitches, 25 were called strikes, 19 were swinging strikes, 16 were fouled off, 47 were balls and 11 were put in play. Of the 11 balls put in play, four were hits. Very odd line for him.


4) Brewers 6, Cubs 3— World Champs have lost four in row, are 6-7 overall, 2-5 at home.


3) Cavaliers 117, Pacers 111— Indiana was down 18 after three quarters, but covered thru the backdoor. Kevin Love was +!7; Cavaliers were -11 with him off the floor.


As I type this, Spurs are up 56-30 over Memphis. Not a lot of competition there.


2) NFL schedule gets released Thursday night, the draft is next week. It is freakin’ April, but the NFL has an amazing ability to stay in the news.


1— Utah Jazz have a problem, with Rudy Gobert out for Game 2 with the Clippers, but this year, Jazz are +102 with Derrick Favors on the floor, if they didn’t play the night before. When they played the night before, Favors was -45. No back/backs in the playoffs, good for Utah.

 

[CNOTES]

Playoff Zig-Zag Theory
April 17, 2017


In NBA handicapping circles, Zig Zags are trendy applications that have been profitable moneymakers during the playoffs.


The premise is simple:


‘Play On’ a team off a playoff loss in its very next game


The theory is that in a short series involving imminent elimination, a team in more inclined to bounce back with a good effort off a losing performance than it is to continue its losing ways.


How have these plays held up of late?


You might be surprised.


Here are point-spread results of NBA Playoff Zig Zags from 1991 through 2016.


Game On, Dude


Overall: 855-760-726-38 (52.9%)
Game Two: 209-169-13 (55.3%)
Game Three: 212-172-6 (55.2%)
Game Four: 175-177-170-8 (49.7%)
Game Five: 142-129-7 (52.4%)
Game Six: 85-81-2 (51.2%)
Game Seven: 32-32-2 (50.0%)


The moderate strength of NBA Zig Zags appears to be in Games 3 and 4 where collectively they become a better than 55% point spread proposition on the blind.


Burn Baby Burn


Like all things that are popular, though, they eventually burn out and revert back to the norm.


A combination of the ‘law of averages’ and an adjustment by the odds makers has seen the NBA Zig Zags go up in smoke since 2001.


That’s confirmed by the fact that these plays slipped dramatically the last 16 years (2001-2016), going 544-511-28 – or 51.5% - overall as opposed to a 311-249-10 mark – or 55.5% - in games played from 1991-2000.


That’s a decline of 4 full percentage points. Or in bottom line terms, they have been money burners on the blind the last 15 seasons. That’s what I would call a major buzz kill.


Round ‘Em Up


Here is a breakdown of how the Zig Zags have fared during each round of the NBA Playoffs since 1991:


Round One: 410-365-22 (52.9%)
Round Two: 257-222-7 (53.7%)
Round Three: 125-117-7 (51.7%)
Round Four: 63-56-3 (52.9%)


While it appears Round Two holds a scant edge, it should be noted that home teams off a double-digit loss in Round Two have yielded the largest profits, as they are 86-56-3 (60.5%).

Planting The Seeds


Here is a breakdown of how the Zig Zags have fared by seed during NBA Playoffs:


No. 1 Seeds: 125-111-5 (53.0%)
No. 2 Seeds: 118-99-4 (54.4%)
No. 3 Seeds: 104-90-9 (53.3%)
No. 4 Seeds: 83-81-1 (50.7%)
No. 5 Seeds: 79-75-3 (51.3%)
No. 6 Seeds: 69-60-2 (53.4%)
No. 7 Seeds: 48-68-4 (41.4%)
No. 8 Seeds: 68-49-5 (58.1%)


Note these results are since the 1996 season, when our database first began charting seeds.


Note the disparate results that abound between No. 7 and No. 8 seeds.


Rocky Mountain High


So when is it we can still expect to catch the best possible result when firing up with these with NBA Zig Zags these days, you ask?


Simple. Look to support double-digit underdogs that scored 88 or less points in their last game as they’ve gone 32-13-2 ATS since 1991. That’s a pretty high 71.1% winning percentage when you think about it.


So now instead of zigging when you should be zagging, check out the optimum roles outlined above... and enjoy the games.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bucks (42-40) at Raptors (51-31)
Date: April 18, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The Toronto Raptors have been here before, down 1-0 in a first-round playoff series.


After the Milwaukee Bucks earned a 97-83 victory Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre, the Raptors are 0-9 in opening games of first-round playoff series. They are 1-11 in Game 1 overall.


The Bucks go into Game 2 on Tuesday night knowing they can do no worse than a split before the series returns to Milwaukee.


It is one thing to lose, but the way the Raptors played in the second half of Game 1 was surprisingly poor.


Toronto was outscored 51-32 in the second half. All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry scored two points in the second half and four points for the game on 2-for-11 shooting. The Bucks played good defense but the effort was not there from the Raptors, either.


"It sounds like a yearly song we sing but we're going to go as (Lowry) and DeMar (DeRozan) go and he's got to be aggressive no matter what the defense is doing," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.


"I thought our energy was high on the defensive end, against using our length, trying to make it tough," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "They have a lot of talented players over there that are going to put the ball in the basket. You just want to make it as tough as possible on them and I thought Thon (Maker) did that in the second half. I thought Moose (Greg Monroe) did a great job on the pick-and-roll, knowing they were going to put him in the pick-and-roll and he was up for it (Saturday)."


Lowry failed to score in double figures for the first time since Jan. 3 at San Antonio.


"Every shot I took was contested or ran off," Lowry said. "They did a good job. They game-planned really well for us. That's one thing about the playoffs, teams are gonna game-plan for me and DeMar. We gotta figure out ways to make tough shots or everybody else has to help us, we've got to get other guys to get even more open looks."


Lowry is being urged to be more aggressive.


"Every time I (used) a screen, I had four arms around me," Lowry said "Put it this way: I guess I'm (going to) have to force shots. My teammates want me to be more aggressive, so I'm (going to) have to force some more shots. Simple as that."


Another problem for the Raptors is containing Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 28 points Saturday. Casey said Toronto must do a better job at getting back in transition.


"It wasn't like they jumped out to a big lead or anything like that, but in the minute where it was important, we didn't do a good job of getting back in transition,' Casey said. "(DeRozan) drives to the basket or (Lowry) drives to the basket and now it's five on four or one on two or three. We need all five men or four men back to guard (Antetokounmpo), and out of that make sure we are in scramble mode and have our scramble rotation in and we didn't do a good job of that."


Antetokounmpo scored nine baskets in the paint Saturday.


"We were taking negative steps going toward the basket instead of getting back," Casey said Sunday. "You know what freight train is coming down the road, so you've got to turn and sprint back. Make sure you have every man available. Our philosophy here from Day 1 is never to go to the offensive boards. There's no reason for our wings to be going into the paint. You might think you're going to get that ball, but you're going to give up something on the other end."


Raptors forward Serge Ibaka, who scored 19 points and had 14 rebounds Saturday, was able to continue in Game 1 after turning an ankle in the third quarter. He did not practice Monday, is listed as day-to-day and is expected to play in Game 2.


Casey commented on the hard screens set by Milwaukee.


"We had numerous situations where they were cracking us with screens, whether illegal or not," Casey said. "If they're going to let us play that way, we've got to set screens that way."


"It's part of the game," Kidd said. "It's physical. It's the playoffs. Everybody is going to set screens. Everybody is fighting for that inch."


Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon, who scored 16 points, said his team was prepared for a rugged battle.


"Physicality was really the emphasis going into the game," Brogdon said. "Playing in that arena is tough. They're always the more physical, faster-paced team at home. We knew we had to match that. All season we've been talking about screening hard and making people feel screens. I thought we did a good job of that."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bulls (41-41) at Celtics (53-29)
Date: April 18, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Guard Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics will fly to Tacoma, Wash., on Wednesday to join his grieving family following the death of his younger sister.


But first, Thomas and his teammates have to see if they can even their playoff series with the Chicago Bulls.


The Bulls opened the best-of-seven series with a 106-102 win Sunday, on a night that could only be described as eerie after the death of Thomas's sister, Chyna, in a one-car accident in Washington.


"They haven't finalized the memorial service plans or funeral plans," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said at practice Monday. "They're still working on that as a family. If that time comes, when that time comes, when they solidify those plans, obviously we hope to be able to go."


Thomas, who was emotional before the game and looking stunned the entire night, still managed to score 33 points in a game that saw the eighth-seeded Bulls manhandle the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed on the boards to get the win.


Chicago hauled down an amazing 20 offensive rebounds to win for the eighth time in its last 11 games.


"The series isn't over, it's just beginning," said former Celtic Rajon Rondo, who had the task of trying to stay with Thomas much of the night, with Jimmy Butler also helping out. "As people say, the series starts when you take advantage of home court, and we did that tonight.


"But all we did was win one game. We have three more to go and it's going to be even tougher."


Bobby Portis, playing his first playoff game, was outstanding, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots in 29 minutes off the Chicago bench.


"Tonight was Bobby's night," Bulls guard Dwyane Wade said. "Give credit to our team, our second unit. The first day of practice after we made the playoffs, we came in on Friday and they tore our butts off. They came out and gave us a taste of what we were going to see tonight from a defensive pressure standpoint.


"That's how you win games, when it's a whole team involved."


Butler, who wants to guard Thomas (coach Fred Hoiberg thinks it takes too much out of his best player to do it consistently), scored 15 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. He also grabbed nine rebounds and Robin Lopez hauled down eight of his team's 20 offensive boards in the win. But the key was Portis, who averaged 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game during the regular season.


"I've always been confident," Portis said. "It helps at the same time I knew the circumstances of what my team needed from me. I went out there and played my basketball game. I took the shots that came to me tonight."


The Celtics know what they did wrong Sunday and what has to be done Tuesday night -- a loss meaning they would be down 0-2 heading to Chicago.


"I think a lot of it had to do with Lopez," Avery Bradley said of the rebounding assault. "I think he had eight offensive rebounds. We have to do a better job as a team being able to contain him. Bigs have to box him out. Guards have to come down and rebound.


"So it's a team issue. We have to help each other out. Make sure we fix it for next game. If we were able to fix that, I think it's a different outcome."


Thomas kept to himself after the game and wasn't available to the media again Monday.


"He's trying his best to compartmentalize when he's here to work on what he needs to work on, but I'm sure that's difficult," Stevens said. "But we were together for some film, some walk-through and we'll be back together tomorrow. I think he's as good as he can be, I guess."

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Jazz (51-31) at Clippers (51-31)
Date: April 18, 2017 10:30 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- As the Los Angeles Clippers pick up the pieces after their stunning Game 1 loss to the Utah Jazz, they will look to pick up the pace in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Tuesday night at Staples Center.


Despite the Jazz losing center and leading rebounder Rudy Gobert in the opening 20 seconds of the Saturday game, they were able to dictate the tempo and prevail 97-95 on Joe Johnson's game-winning shot as time expired, ending the Clippers' seven-game winning streak.


Gobert, who sustained a hyperextended left knee after colliding with Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute, is ruled out of Game 2.


Utah guard Raul Neto, who missed Game 1 with a sprained ankle, is listed as questionable. Neto told the Salt Lake Tribune that he will play.


However, it is Gobert's absence the Clippers hope to exploit.


Point guard Chris Paul, who had 25 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in Game 1, said the Clippers also need a boost from J.J. Redick. The shooting guard managed just seven points and took only six shots, converting three, in the opener.


"Our defense has to be better, our pace, our tempo, everything has to be better," Paul said, according to the club's website. "Had we won that game, we still would have needed to do things better. We're definitely going to have to do more. J.J. is our best shooter on our team. That's our job as a team and my job as the point guard to find him more open looks."


In addition to Redick, the Clippers could use more production from their bench. Their reserves were outscored by the Jazz's 47-20. Johnson accounted for 21 bench points and Derrick Favors had 15. No Los Angeles reserve scored in double figures.


Blake Griffin also wasn't productive in the second half, scoring just six of his 26 points. Griffin had two points in the fourth quarter.


The Jazz will attempt to slow the tempo to duplicate their Game 1 success. However, they realize the Clippers will perform with more of an urgency to avoiding going down 0-2.


"You know they're going to be aggressive all game, and we're going to have to be smarter and be ready for that," point guard George Hill told the Tribune. Hill had 16 points in the Game 1 win. "We're expecting them to come out and play very hard. We just have to be smart about it and be aggressive right back."


Adjusting to whatever the Clippers throw at them will be crucial for the Jazz.


"We expect their whole team to come out aggressive," Favors said, according to the Tribune. "We're sure they're feeling some type of way after Saturday. So we know Chris Paul is going to be aggressive. Same thing for Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. So we're going to have to come out and be ready for that."


The Clippers will play again without reserve guard Austin Rivers (strained left hamstring). Rivers, who has been limited to shooting drills, probably won't be available for Game 3 either, coach Doc Rivers said.

 

[CNOTES]

C Gobert to miss Game 2 vs. Clippers
April 17, 2017


Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert will be sidelined for Game 2 their Western Conference first-round playoff series against the host Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night, the Salt Lake Tribune reported on Monday.


The 24-year-old Gobert, a 7-foot-1 center from France, sustained a hyperextended left knee only 11 seconds into the series opener, which the Jazz rallied to win 97-95 on Saturday.


"Gobert's status going forward will be determined game by game," Tony Jones of the Tribune wrote. "The Jazz big man is walking without crutches, which is encouraging. At the same time, healing the knee is expected to take some time."


An MRI exam showed no structural damage to the knee.


Derrick Favors, who had 15 points and six rebounds for the Jazz in Game 1, is expected to replace Gobert in the starting lineup.


Gobert, who also plays on the French national team, averaged 14.0 points, 12.8 rebounds and an NBA-leading 2.6 blocked shots per game this season.


Game 3 is scheduled for Friday night in Salt Lake City.


**********************


Cavs' Smith exits with hamstring injury
April 17, 2017


CLEVELAND -- Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith sustained a left hamstring injury in the first half against the Indiana Pacers on Monday and did not return.


Smith scored just three points in Game 2, but his assignment in the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series is to guard All-Star Paul George.


Iman Shumpert, who did not play in Game 1, replaced Smith in the starting lineup when the second half began.


Smith scored six points in Game 1, a Cleveland win, after averaging 8.6 points in 41 regular-season games. He missed three months this season with a broken thumb.


***********************


PG Thomas plans to play in Game 2
April 17, 2017


Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas plans to play Tuesday night in Game 2 of the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Chicago Bulls as he continues to mourn from a family tragedy.


Celtics coach Brad Stevens said Thomas will fly to his home state of Washington after the game to help complete funeral arrangements for his sister, Chyna Thomas, who was killed in a car crash Saturday outside Tacoma, Wash.


"His plan, as of right now -- and, again, subject to him changing if he wants -- is that he'll be here (Tuesday) night and then will go to Tacoma after," Stevens told reporters Monday. "So either after the game (Tuesday) night or Wednesday morning."


Thomas played through tears Sunday night and scored 33 points in the Celtics' 106-102 playoff-opening loss against the Bulls -- just a day after his 22-year-old sister died in a single-car accident on Interstate 5 in Federal Way, Wash.


The Celtics have two days off before Game 3 Friday night against the Bulls in Chicago and Stevens suggested the entire team would make an effort to attend the memorial services.


"He's trying his best to compartmentalize when he's here to work on what he needs to work on, but I'm sure that's difficult," Stevens said. "But we were together for some film, some walk-through, and we'll be back together (Tuesday). I think he's as good as he can be.


"It's really tough when he's sitting there, and some of his family's back in Seattle, and some of them came here to mourn with him. I think the next extension of your family is who you're around every day, your team, and so these guys are really terrific teammates. They care about one another and they support one another. Obviously, that's what you'd hope you have in a team. It's probably not always the case."


Teammate Avery Bradley, a fellow Tacoma native, has helped Thomas get through the tragedy.


"Me and Isaiah have known each other since we were kids, since we were 11, 12 years old. So we're just family," Bradley said. "And no matter what goes on, we're always going to have each other's back. We're always going to be there for one another. And I think he knows that and I know the same about him.


"We're always going to support each other. Not to say our teammates aren't going to support us as well, but we're family so it's different. I'm going to be there for him no matter what."

 

[CNOTES]

'Greek Freak,' Bucks - and Jazz, Bulls - look for 2-0 leads
April 17, 2017


Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo marked his arrival as a big stage, playoff performer in his second trip to the NBA postseason - now he's looking for more.


The 22-year-old dubbed the ''Greek Freak'' will be looking to once again put his stamp on the Bucks' series against the Toronto Raptors. There Game 2 showdown in Toronto is one of the trio of NBA playoffs games Tuesday night that feature lower seeds that are trying to take 2-0 series leads.


Other games on tap include the East's top-seeded Celtics trying to bounce back from an emotional night for Isaiah Thomas in a loss to the eighth-seeded Bulls, and a Jazz teams looking to build on their Game 1 win over the Clippers despite Rudy Gobert's left knee injury in the opening minute.


Bucks coach Jason Kidd said that Antetokounmpo is stepping into his own at the right time.


''He set the tone for everyone offensively and defensively, and just understanding he came out aggressive, he didn't wait,'' Kidd said. ''We're going to need that from him.''


It's a big step for the young scoring threat. He was just in his second year in league in Bucks' last playoff appearance in 2014-15. He averaged 12.7 points a game that season.


''He answered whatever call he answered and executed the game plan,'' Kidd said. ''He didn't force things, he let the game come to him.''


---


Some things to know about Tuesday nights trio of matchups:


Bucks at Raptors, Milwaukee leads 1-0. Game 2, 7 p.m., NBATV


NEED TO KNOW: Antetokounmpo's strong regular-season performance against Toronto carried over into Game 1, when he had 28 points and eight rebounds. The Milwaukee Bucks star averaged 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists in four regular-season against the Raptors.


KEEP AN EYE ON: G Malcolm Brogdon will face Raptors G Kyle Lowry, who struggled with his shooting Game 1. A rookie, Brogdon has provided a calming and steady presence at point guard on both end of the floor.

INJURY UPDATE: Serge Ibaka did not practice Monday because of a sprained left ankle, suffered when he stepped on Antetokounmpo's foot in the third quarter Saturday. But coach Dwane Casey said Ibaka ''should be ready to go tomorrow night.''


PRESSURE IS ON: Khris Middleton. The forward had nine assists against Toronto in Game 1 but was held to 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting in 40 minutes. It was the second time that Middleton had played at least 40 minutes since coming back from a hamstring injury on Feb. 8. He's one of Milwaukee's best all-around players, but if Middleton can get going from the outside, that should create more spacing on the floor and room for Antetokounmpo to maneuver to the rim.


---


Bulls at Celtics, Chicago leads 1-0. Game 2, 8 p.m., TNT


NEED TO KNOW: Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas is preparing to play Game 2 before flying out Tacoma, Washington to be with his family to finalize funeral arranges for his younger sister. Chyna Thomas, 22, died in a car accident early Saturday, casting doubt on whether Thomas would ultimate play in the opener. He did, scoring a game-high 33 points, to go along with six assists and five rebounds. Bulls guard Dwyane Wade said that Thomas produced like they expected him to in Game 1. But he said he is expecting Jimmy Butler, who had 23 of his 30 points in the second half of Monday's 106-102 win, to produce as well. Butler also guarded Thomas at times. Wade said before practice Monday the Bulls have to give them a different defensive look with Butler at times, ''if you get their offense out a little further, if it takes a little bit more time off the clock, all those things help,'' Wade said. ''It's good to be able to have a guy like that to say, `get us 30, and then go guard the guy that's got 30.'''


KEEP AN EYE ON: The rebounding battle. The Bulls dominated the offensive glass 20-12, leading to 23 second-chance points in their Game 1 win. It was as part of a 53-36 overall rebounding edge for the game. Chicago also outrebounded Boston in three of their four regular-season meetings.

INJURY UPDATE: Both teams are injury-free coming out of the opener.


PRESSURE IS ON: The Bulls bench to keep up its production. Second-year forward Bobby Portis' 19 points in the opener led Bulls' young reserves, who outscored their Boston counterparts 35-22. Chicago's second unit had its biggest impact at the start of the second quarter, going on a 10-0 to put the Bulls in front.


Jazz at Clippers, Jazz lead 1-0. Game 2, 10:30 p.m., TNT

NEED TO KNOW: The Jazz gained home-court advantage by winning their first playoff game since 2010 on Joe Johnson's floater at the buzzer. It was just their third win in 21 games against the Clippers. Utah is in the postseason for the first time in five years.


KEEP AN EYE ON: Whether the Jazz can contain Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan without injured big man Rudy Gobert, who was among the NBA's leaders in several defensive categories.


INJURY UPDATE: Gobert (hyperextended left knee/bone bruise) isn't expected to play Game 2 after getting hurt 17 seconds into the series opener. Clippers backup guard Austin Rivers (strained left hamstring) has resumed shooting, but isn't expected back yet.


PRESSURE IS ON: The Clippers. They've never gotten past the second round in franchise history and have lost at least one home game in every playoff series they've been in since 2005-06. It was especially costly two years ago, when they blew a 3-1 lead against Houston, lost Game 6 at home and got beat on the road in Game 7.

 

[CNOTES]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
April 17, 2017


The NBA Playoffs had eight games take place over the weekend and we saw three underdogs capture outright victories on the road. Coincidentally, all three of those series will take place on Tuesday and the oddsmakers are expecting the home squads to get even.


If you follow the NBA on a regular basis, then you’re probably aware of the well-known postseason angle called the Zig-Zag Theory. I suggest you delve into the system before checking out my handicap of tonight’s card.


Eastern Conference First Round – Game 2 - Bucks lead 1-0
Milwaukee at Toronto (NBATV, 7:05 p.m. ET)

The Bucks put forth a full 48-minute effort on Saturday as they captured a 97-83 win over the Raptors in Game 1 as eight-point underdogs. Bettors feeling confident with Milwaukee could have taken advantage of a generous money-line payout as high as 3/1 odds (Bet $100 to win $300).


Toronto actually led this contest 51-45 despite falling behind 30-22 after the first quarter. Then, things unraveled for the Raptors in the second-half as they couldn’t buy a shot. Toronto was 7-of-35 (20%) in the final two quarters and 27-of-75 (36%) for the game.


The Bucks didn’t have a great night shooting (44.7%) as a team but Giannis Antetokounmpo certainly stood out as the best player on the floor. The All-Star finished with 28 points and eight rebounds while the Raptors top pair of DeMar DeRozan (27) and Kyle Lowry (4) combined for just 31 points.


The Lowry issue in the playoffs is tough to figure out and certainly not getting better for Toronto. After Saturday's effort, the point guard is now the second-worst 3-point shooter amongst active players in the postseason at 30.1 percent and his overall field goal percentage is tied for worst at 37.9 percent.


Losing Game 1 of a playoff series has become a familiar trend for the Raptors and this was the eighth consecutive loss in an opening game.


Will Toronto bounce back in the second installment?


In last year’s playoffs, the Raptors answered the bell at home in Game 2 versus the Pacers (98-87) and Heat (96-92) after losing the opener but only went 1-1 against the spread in those games. As I mentioned in Saturday’s piece, Toronto has not been a sound investment in the playoffs at home. Since the club made its return during the 2014 postseason, the Raptors have gone 8-7 at the Air Canada Centre as home favorites. More importantly, they’re only 3-11-1 against the spread in those games.


Toronto has been installed as a 7 ½-point favorite for Game 2 and even though Milwaukee has now won two straight versus the Raptors, it did drop 13 of the previous 14 encounters. Another reason that could have you leaning to the chalk is the fact that the Raptors went 28-13 at home in the regular season and they only dropped back-to-back games once.


After watching Game 1 go ‘under’ (197 ½) on Saturday, the oddsmakers sent out a total of 193 ½ for Game 2 and that number has dipped to 193 as of Monday. Including the outcome from the opener, the Bucks have seen the ‘under’ go 5-0-1 in their last six on the road.


The Raptors (-160) still remain the series favorite over the Bucks (+130) at Sportsbook.ag.


Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.


Eastern Conference First Round – Game 2 – Bulls lead 1-0
Chicago at Boston (TNT, 8:05 p.m. ET)


Handicapping emotion is never easy and that played a major factor on Sunday in Game 1 of this series as Boston point guard Isaiah Thomas was grieving with the tragic loss of his 22-year-old sister, which occurred a day earlier.


The floor general put for a great effort as he scored 33 points but Chicago outlasted Boston 106-102 in the opener as a seven-point road underdog. The Bulls closed plus-255 on the money-line.


Boston forward Al Horford summed up the night for the Celtics and it appears that the tragedy took a toll on the entire club. “'We're never going to make excuses, but this is hard,” Horford said. “This was difficult, and I felt like our guys really dealt with it best. We knew (Thomas) was hurting...we have a lot of respect for him that he was able to come out.”


Horford wasn’t spectacular on Sunday, but he put forth a decent effort with 19 points, eight assists, seven rebounds. Outside of the two All-Stars, the rest of the Celtics shot a combined 19-of-55 (34%) from the field and that’s not going to cut it in the playoffs. Thomas is expected to play in Game 2 on Tuesday for Boston.


Chicago got a monster night out of Jimmy Butler, who stepped up with 30 points and nine rebounds. Forward Jimmy Portis also came up huge, with 19 points off the bench as the reserves for the Bulls outscored their counterparts 35-22. Chicago also had a tremendous edge on the glass (53-36) with Portis and Butler both pulling down nine a piece while Robin Lopez added 11 rebounds.


Whenever you see the home team losing Game 1 of a series, the line usually spikes up in the rematch. That wasn't the case in Game 2 as the Celtics opened as 6 ½-point favorites and the line has been bet down to 6 at most betting shops on Monday afternoon. However, Boston went up to a seven-point 'chalk' after the team announced Thomas would play.


A lot of pundits believe the top seed is in trouble but it’s hard to ignore the fact that they went 30-11 at home in the regular season. Unfortunately for bettors, they only managed to go 17-24 ATS in those games and they’re now 1-7 ATS in their last eight games played at home after Sunday’s result.


Oddsmakers still have the Celtics (-145) listed as the series favorite over the Bulls (+125) but that number has been trimmed down a lot after the Game 1 outcome. Perhaps some bettors are starting to realize that head coach Brad Stevens is now 2-9 in the postseason and Chicago is the more experienced squad in this matchup.


I don’t believe Chicago is more talented than Boston but you can’t overlook its current form. The Bulls closed the season with a 9-4 record and the defense only allowed 97.9 points per game during this run. They’re 6-0 in their last six when holding teams below 100 and Boston barely got there on Sunday.


As a visitor, the Bulls have gone 7-2 ATS (5-4 SU) in their last nine away from home and the two non-covers came when they were favored against the lowly Nets and Knicks.


With the help of a 60-point fourth quarter, the combined 208 points in Game 1 barely went ‘over’ the closing number of 206 ½. The oddsmakers opened 207 for Game 2 and savvy bettors dropped that number quickly to 204 ½ but most shops are holding 205 or 206 as of Monday evening.


The Bulls are tied with the Warriors as the best ‘under’ teams in the NBA (50-33).


Game 3 of this series will take place on Friday from the United Center.


Western Conference First Round – Game 2 – Jazz lead 1-0
Utah at Los Angeles Clippers (TNT, 10:35 p.m. ET)


The 4-5 matchup in the Western Conference was expected to be tight and Game 1 lived up to those expectations as Utah captured a 97-95 win over Los Angeles as a six-point road underdog last Saturday. Veteran Joe Johnson hit a running floater as time expired for the Jazz as they cashed on the money-line at a plus-205 price.


The victory was bitter-sweet for the Jazz, who lost center Rudy Gobert in the opening minutes of Game 1 to a knee injury. He’s been ruled 'out' for Game 2 and forward Derrick Favors is expected to start in his place.


Even with Gobert missing 47 minutes on Saturday, the Clippers were unable to take advantage of his absence. The trio of Chris Paul (25 points, 11 assists), Blake Griffin (26 points, 7 reblunds) and DeAndre Jordan all had (10 points, 15 rebounds) all had decent games for the Clippers but the rest of the team was outplayed. The Jazz bench outscored the reserves of the Clippers 47-20 with Johnson leading the way with 21 points and Favors chipped in with 15 off the pine as well.


The Game 1 loss for the Clippers snapped their seven-game winning streak and it was just their third setback in their last 14. Los Angeles hasn’t dropped back-to-back games since mid-March and it has gone 3-0 both SU and ATS after a loss during this span. Make a note that Los Angeles is 10-0 in its last 10 games when scoring over 100 points.


Without the defensive menace Gobert roaming the middle, more than 95 points should be expected from Los Angeles on Tuesday. He only missed one game this regular season and Utah dropped a 112-104 decision at Oklahoma City.


Including Saturday’s result, Utah is now 2-3 both SU and ATS versus Los Angeles this season. Prior to those outcomes, the Clippers were 13-1 against the Jazz in the previous four seasons.


Los Angeles opened as a 7 ½-point favorite for Tuesday but the Gobert injury status has pushed the line up to nine. The Jazz have gone 8-8 on the road in the second-half of the season, but are just 4-5 when listed as a road ‘dog. They managed to cover one of the losses but it’s still rare to see them cover when catching points in these spots.


Despite the loss on Saturday, the Clippers are still expected to win the best-of-seven series (-150) over the Jazz (+130).


The total on Saturday closed at 198 ½ and Johnson’s winner likely saved ‘under’ bets. The low side has gone 3-2 between the pair this season and Game 2 is expected to be another slugfest with the number hovering between 195 and 196 at most betting shops.


After this game, the pair will head to Salt Lake City on Friday for Game 3.

 

[CNOTES]

Overall Picks of the Day:
Date W-L-T % Units Record


04/17/2017 1-3-0 25.00% -1150
04/16/2017 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
04/15/2017 6-2-0 75.00% +1900


Best Bets Daily:
Sides / Totals


04/17/2017..................1 - 1...............-1.10..................0 - 2 - 2.20
04/16/2017 .................2 - 2..............- 0.20..................1 - 2 - 1.20
04/15/2017..................3 - 0.............+ 3.00..................1 - 2 - 1.20

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Dunkel


Tuesday, April 18



Utah @ LA Clippers


Game 529-530
April 18, 2017 @ 10:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Utah
124.906
LA Clippers
129.852
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 5
208
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 9
195 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Utah
(+9); Over


Chicago @ Boston


Game 527-528
April 18, 2017 @ 8:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
123.106
Boston
122.740
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
Even
208
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 7
205 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+7); Over


Milwaukee @ Toronto


Game 525-526
April 18, 2017 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
113.879
Toronto
125.470
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 11 1/2
196
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 7 1/2
193
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-7 1/2); Over








NBA
Long Sheet


Tuesday, April 18


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MILWAUKEE (43 - 40) at TORONTO (51 - 32) - 4/18/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 37-46 ATS (-13.6 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 361-433 ATS (-115.3 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) after allowing 85 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 45-37 ATS (+4.3 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 73-48 ATS (+20.2 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 128-94 ATS (+24.6 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 55-35 ATS (+16.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.
TORONTO is 44-68 ATS (-30.8 Units) in home games in April games since 1996.
TORONTO is 178-221 ATS (-65.1 Units) in home games in the second half of the season since 1996.
TORONTO is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) in all playoff games over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) after scoring 85 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 185-228 ATS (-65.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 8-4 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 9-3 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO (42 - 41) at BOSTON (53 - 30) - 4/18/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 16-30 ATS (-17.0 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 27-17 ATS (+8.3 Units) as an underdog this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 6-6 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 7-5 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UTAH (52 - 31) at LA CLIPPERS (51 - 32) - 4/18/2017, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) as an underdog this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 207-260 ATS (-79.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 6-6 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 9-3 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------






NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up


Tuesday, April 18


Milwaukee won 97-83 on road in Game 1, holding Raptors to 36% from floor; Toronto shot twice as many FT’s (33-15) but they were held to 32 second half points by Bucks squad that is in the playoffs for first time since 2015; they’re 0-6 in playoff series the last 15 years- their last first round series win was in 2001. Toronto is 3-2 vs Milwaukee this season but lost last two meetings, by 7-14 points. Under is 5-0-1 in Bucks’ last six games, 6-4 in Toronto’s last ten. Raptors are 12-3 in last 15 games, but a loss here and they head to Wisconsin down 2-0.


Celtics are now 2-9 in playoffs under Stevens; Boston star Thomas is playing under cloud of his 22-year old sister dying Saturday- he goes to her funeral tomorrow. Celtics were 14-38 on arc in Game 1 loss; they’re 9-4 in last 13 games overall, but are also 1-7 vs spread in last eight home tilts. Chicago is now 8-2 in its last ten games; five of their last six games stayed under the total. Home side won four of five Chicago-Boston games this season. Of previous 11 #8-seeds to upset a #1-seed in Game 1 of a series, three of the 11 wound up winning the series.


Utah big man Gobert (knee) is out for this game, which forces Favors to play more, and then Jazz has to play smaller. Utah is +102 this season with Favors on floor, if they didn’t play night before. Jazz are 2-3 against the Clippers this year, 1-2 here, with both losses by 13+ points. Clippers won seven of their last eight games (4-3-1 vs spread); over is 7-6 in their last 13 games. LA was just 8-24 on arc in Game 1; they need to play with desperation here, to avoid going to Salt Lake City down 2-0. Six of last nine Utah games stayed under the total.


First round playoff series:
Boston-Chicago
Chi 106-102, +7, O207


Cleveland-Indiana
Clev 109-108, -9, O208.5
Clev 117-111, -9, O210


Toronto-Milwaukee
Mil 97-83, +7.5, U197.5


Washington-Atlanta
Wash 114-107, -5.5, O209.5


Golden State-Portland
GState 121-109, -15.5, O220


San Antonio-Memphis
SA 111-82, -9.5, O190.5
SA 96-82, -10.5, U189


Houston-Oklahoma City
Hst 118-87 -7.5, 227.5


LA Clippers-Utah
Utah 97-95, +6, U198.5


Favorites: 4-6 vs spread
Totals: over 6-4








NBA


Tuesday, April 18


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


7:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. TORONTO
Milwaukee is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Milwaukee is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games
Toronto is 5-9-1 ATS in its last 15 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games

8:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. BOSTON
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Chicago

10:30 PM
UTAH vs. LA CLIPPERS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
LA Clippers are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games when playing at home against Utah
LA Clippers are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games

 

[CNOTES]

NBA


Tuesday, April 18


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday’s NBA playoffs betting preview and odds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The NBA Playoffs continue Tuesday night with a pair of games in the Eastern Conference followed by a single Western Conference matchup. All three games feature favorites who lost the openers and are looking to rebound on home court.


Milwaukee Bucks at Toronto Raptors (-7.5, 193)


Bucks lead series 1-0


ABOUT THE BUCKS (43-40 SU, 37-46 ATS, 41-40-2 O/U): The Bucks didn't look like a team that lost 13 of their past 15 regular-season games to the Raptors when it carried play and produced a 97-83 victory in the opener. The series is seen as a time for the 22-year Antetokounmpo to shine and he did that by making 13-of-18 shots, collecting eight rebounds and playing his typical team-style brand of basketball. "I'm going to find open guys," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "If I start thinking about who they're going to put on me, it's not going to work. I don't even think about who they're going to put on me." Rookie guard Malcolm Brogdon contributed 16 points and made four 3-point baskets in Game 1 while center Greg Monroe contributed 14 points and 15 rebounds off the bench.


ABOUT THE RAPTORS (51-32 SU, 45-37-1 ATS, 44-39 O/U): The Game 1 defeat pushes the third-seeded Raptors in recognizable territory as they have dropped eight consecutive playoff series openers. All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry missed all six 3-point attempts and tallied just four points in the opener as he continues to be a dismal performer in the postseason. Lowry experienced major shooting issues last year while finishing at 30.4 percent from long range in 20 games and he was already surly with reporters while claiming it is time for some of his teammates to step up. "That's one thing about the playoffs, teams are gonna game plan for me and DeMar," Lowry told reporters. "We gotta figure out ways to make tough shots or everybody else gotta help us. We gotta get other guys to get even more open looks."


LINE HISTORY: The Raptors opened as 7.5-point home favorites for Game 2 and the total hit the board at 193.


INJURY REPORT:


Bucks - PF J. Parker (Out For Season, knee).


Raptors - PF S. Ibaka (Probable, ankle).


TRENDS:


* Bucks are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. NBA Atlantic.
* Raptors are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.
* Under is 6-0-1 in Bucks last 7 vs. NBA Atlantic.
* Under is 7-1 in Raptors last 8 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Favorite is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.








Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics (-7, 205.5)


Bulls lead series 1-0


ABOUT THE BULLS (41-41 SU, 43-40 ATS, 33-49-1 O/U): Chicago had a 53-36 rebounding advantage and hauled in 20 on the offensive end, including 16 in the first half. Jimmy Butler scored 23 of his 30 points in the second half and helped guard Thomas down the stretch. Bobby Portis provided a huge lift for Chicago off the bench in Game 1 by recording 19 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in 29 minutes. "He was one of our new, young guys that hasn't had any playoff experience that I wasn't worried about," coach Fred Hoiberg told the media. "Because he's going to go out there and play with unbelievable confidence, he's going to play with swagger, he's just a kid that's going to go out there and lay it on the line." Veteran Dwyane Wade had 11 points and six assists in his fourth game back from an elbow injury and he will move into the top 25 in NBA history when he plays in his 168th career playoff game Tuesday.


ABOUT THE CELTICS (53-29 SU, 40-41-2 ATS, 40-39-4 O/U): Isaiah Thomas and the Boston Celtics will try to rebound from an emotional Game 1 loss when they continue their Eastern Conference first-round series with the visiting Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. Hours after learning that his sister died in a car accident in Washington, Thomas bravely led the Celtics with 33 points, but his team was dominated inside as the Bulls stole the opener 106-102 on Easter Sunday. Coach Brad Stevens told reporters that he would let Thomas decide whether he wants to play Game 2 or be with family in Washington, stating: "Whatever he needs to do, he needs to do, and we'll help in any way." Regardless of the status of their leader, Boston needs more of a support system on the court, as six reserves combined to score 22 points on 8-of-22 shooting in Game 1. Starting forward Jae Crowder, who scored at least 11 points in 13 of his final 14 regular-season games, was limited to nine while shooting 4-for-12 on Sunday.


LINE HISTORY: The Celtics opened as six-point home favorites for Game 2 and that spread was quickly bet up to -7 by Monday night. The total hit the board at 205 and currently sits at 205.5.


INJURY REPORT:


Bulls - No injuries to report.


Celtics - PG I. Thomas (Probable, personal).


TRENDS:


* Bulls are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Celtics are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 home games.
* Over is 6-0 in Bulls last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Over is 5-0 in Celtics last 5 Tuesday games.
* Home team is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.








Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers (-9, 196.5)


Jazz lead series 1-0


ABOUT THE JAZZ (52-31 SU, 37-42-4 ATS, 42-41 O/U): Veteran reserve Joe Johnson's buzzer-beater lifted the Jazz to a 97-95 victory in the opener of the best-of-seven set as the squad overcame a difficult injury. Center Rudy Gobert, whose breakout season helped Utah return to the playoffs for the first time since 2012, suffered a knee injury on the opening possession of the contest, leaving his status for the rest of the series in doubt. Forward Derrick Favors was summoned off the bench when Gobert was hurt and he - along with Johnson - should see an uptick in minutes with the team's big man sidelined. Favors finished with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 32 minutes while Johnson was the team's top scorer with 21 points on 9-of-14. It will take a committee approach on the boards without Gobert - who was fourth in the NBA in rebounding (12.8) during the regular season - and All-Star forward Gordon Hayward did his part with 10 rebounds in Game 1, his best single-game total since Dec. 21.


ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (51-32 SU, 40-42-1 ATS, 44-38-1 O/U): The Clippers were forced to wrestle with the loss of home-court advantage and know that they can ill afford to go back to Utah down 2-0 in the series.Los Angeles is insisting there is no need to panic following the Game 1 loss, and its own playoff history is helping the players understand that it's a long haul. "A lot of guys have played enough playoff games to know it's truly a series," forward Blake Griffin told the Los Angeles Times. "Everybody says that. But we've been up 2-0 several times and lost a series [to Portland]. We've been up 3-1 and lost a series [to Houston]. We've lost a first game and won a series. So it doesn't really matter, you know?" Griffin scored a game-high 26 points and center DeAndre Jordan had 10 and 15 boards, but the Clippers struggled to free up their shooters, as guards J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford combined for 15 points on 7-of-19 shooting, including 1-of-7 from 3-point range.


LINE HISTORY: The Clippers opened as 7.5-point home favorites for Game 2 but that line was bumped to -9 after Gobert's status was confirmed. The total opened at 196.5 and dropped a full point to 195.5 before returning to the opening number by Tuesday morning.


INJURY REPORT:


Jazz - PG R. Neto (Questionable, ankle), C R. Gobert (Out, knee).


Clippers - PG A. Rivers (Out, hamstring), C D. Stone (Out Indefinitely, knee).


TRENDS:


* Jazz are 5-1-2 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Clippers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 5-0 in Jazz last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Under is 14-3 in Clippers last 17 games playing on 2 days rest.
* Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Los Angeles.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Short Sheet


Tuesday, April 18


Eastern Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 2 – ML Leads 1-0


Milwaukee at Toronto, 7:00 PM ET
Milwaukee: 31-17 ATS in road games after having won 2 of their last 3
Toronto: 27-14 OVER after playing a home


Eastern Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 2 – CHI Leads 1-0


Chicago at Boston, 8:00 PM ET
Chicago: 30-18 UNDER when the total is 200 to 209.5
Boston: 35-19 ATS after failing to cover 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread


Western Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 2 – UTH Leads 1-0


Utah at LA Clippers, 10:30 PM ET
Utah: 47-33 UNDER when the total is between 190 and 199.5
Los Angeles: 14-5 ATS in home games after 1 or more consecutive unders

 

[CNOTES]

Memphis coach Fizdale blasts 'unprofessional' officiating
April 18, 2017


SAN ANTONIO (AP) Memphis coach David Fizdale blasted the officiating in Game 2 of the Grizzlies' first-round series against the Spurs, deeming it ''unprofessional'' and ''unacceptable'' before slamming his fist on a table and storming off.


San Antonio held off a late rally to beat Memphis 96-82 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round matchup.


Fizdale said the veteran crew of Danny Crawford, Rodney Mott and Bill Spooner ''did not even give us a chance'' to even the series. After initially saying he needed to ''have a glass of wine on the plane'' to analyze what happened, Fizdale unleashed a nearly two-minute tirade during a postgame interview that grew increasingly louder.


''It was a very poorly officiated basketball game,'' Fizdale said. ''Zach Randolph, the most rugged guy in the game, has zero free throws, but somehow Kawhi Leonard had 19 free throws?''


Leonard had a postseason career-high 37 points and made all 19 free-throw attempts. The Grizzlies took 15 free throws as a team against San Antonio's 32 even though Memphis attempted 35 shots in the paint, 17 more than the Spurs.


''I'm not a numbers guy, but that doesn't seem to add up,'' Fizdale said.


Adding to Fizdale's consternation was the fact that Memphis rallied from a 26-point deficit in the second half and had an opportunity to win after a 29-point blowout in Game 1.


The Grizzlies closed within 75-71 early in the fourth quarter, but San Antonio responded with 3-pointers by Tony Parker and Pau Gasol in rebuilding their double-digit lead.


Leonard shot all four of the Spurs free throws in the final quarter while the Grizzlies were limited to one on a three-point play by Marc Gasol.


''I felt like I got fouled the times that I went to the line,'' Leonard said. ''Memphis is a physical team throwing a lot of bodies at me. I guess I did something and the refs were paying attention and I was able to get to the line.''


The trio of Crawford, Spooner and Mott have officiated more than 400 playoff games over careers that span more than two decades for each, but Fizdale was irate with their performance.


Fizdale wasn't sure if his status as a first-year coach or his team's decorum had anything to do with the lopsided numbers, but he wasn't happy with the result.


''Kawhi shot more free throws than our whole team, explain it to me,'' Fizdale said. ''We don't get the respect that these guys deserve because Mike Conley doesn't go crazy, he has class and he just plays the game. But I'm not going to let them treat us that way. I know (San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has) got pedigree and I'm a young rookie, but they are not going to rook us.


''That's unacceptable, that was unprofessional. My guys dug in that game and earned the right to be in that game and they did not even give us a chance.''


Game 3 is Thursday night in Memphis.

 

[CNOTES]

Bucks rookie Thon Maker leaves mark in return to Canada
April 18, 2017


ST. FRANCIS, Wis. (AP) Milwaukee Bucks big man Thon Maker marked his first postseason game with a block party in familiar surroundings.


The 7-foot-1 rookie wasn't worried about performing under playoff pressure against the Toronto Raptors, even if just a year ago he was a little-known prospect who played prep ball in Ontario.


The Bucks hope the 20-year-old can help the team secure another first-round playoff win on the road when Milwaukee visits the Raptors for Game 2 on Tuesday night.


''I was not nervous at all. I was too hyped for one thing,'' Maker said. ''The crowd, the music, the environment - I was very hyped. ... The crowd might be against you, but you can use that in a positive way.''


Maker channeled that energy on the defensive end in the third quarter of Game 1 on Saturday, a 97-83 win.


The Bucks were trailing by seven with 10:37 left in the period when Maker recorded the first of two blocks within a three-minute span, including one at point-blank range on driving Raptors star DeMar DeRozan . Maker also hit a 15-foot jumper and got a steal in that span.


His play helped set the tone for the rest of the second half, when the Bucks outscored the Raptors 51-32 to pull away .


The game ''was a special one because it was back in Toronto,'' Maker said . ''But it's also more special because it's the playoffs.''


It's been quite the year for Maker, a somewhat surprising selection by the Bucks with the 10th overall pick of the first round in the NBA draft in June. He had spent the previous two years at the Athlete Institute Academy in Mono, Ontario, about 52 miles northwest of Toronto. A native of South Sudan, Maker has also lived in Australia and the United States.


His raw athletic ability and wingspan draw comparisons to teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo, a 6-foot-11 forward who has blossomed into an All-Star in his fourth year in the league.


Antetokounmpo was a raw talent out of Greece when he was taken with the 15th overall pick by the Bucks in the 2013 draft. But Antetokounmpo averaged about 24 minutes in his rookie season in 2013-14 for a team that finished with just 15 wins.


The rebuilding Bucks have more talent now, and they have the luxury of bringing Maker along at a slower pace.


Maker averaged about 10 minutes a game in the regular season, though he started getting more playing time in February, when coach Jason Kidd began using the rookie to start the first and third quarters.


''He's real active, he plays extremely hard. It's contagious what he brings,'' said veteran center Greg Monroe, who comes off the bench and typically finishes games for Milwaukee.


Maker is part of a strong rookie class for Milwaukee, which also drafted Malcolm Brogdon in the second round. Brogdon arrived at the Bradley Center looking and sounding like a veteran following a decorated four-year college career at Virginia.


Brogdon established himself as an NBA Rookie of the Year candidate after taking over the point guard job and contributing from the first day of the season. Maker has taken a little more time to develop.


But they're both making important contributions now in the playoffs.


''Look, you don't know what's going to happen with guys. It's a pleasant surprise,'' general manager John Hammond said. Maker ''always had that kind of energy, but he was able to focus in and be kind of a real positive factor in the game. You look at Malcolm, we say he doesn't play like a rookie. He plays like more of a seasoned player and he showed that in the game.''

 

[CNOTES]

Blazers need more than just Lillard, McCollum vs Warriors
April 18, 2017


OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum made brilliant playoff debuts, and it still wasn't enough for Portland in Game 1 against Golden State.


The Trail Blazers know that if they are going to get past Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and the mighty Warriors, they're all going to have to do more.


Portland's star backcourt combined for 75 points in a 121-109 loss Sunday, and the Blazers now are trying to find better ways to get others involved.


''I think to beat the Warriors, we're going to have to maybe make that extra pass more often and be able to depend on guys more often to allow them to have that type of success so we can actually beat them,'' Lillard said. ''We have a huge game, and I think that gives us an opportunity to stay in the game. But to get over that hump and beat them, we've got to make those plays and give guys more opportunities so we can have them as well on the offensive end.''


Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday night at Oracle Arena.


McCollum scored a playoff career-high 41 points and Lillard added 34 in another impressive performance in his hometown.


Yet star-studded Golden State kept bringing in reinforcements to back Durant's 32-point outing and 29 points from Curry. Draymond Green was perhaps most menacing on both ends to the Blazers, who missed injured 7-foot center Jusuf Nurkic. Coach Terry Stotts wasn't sure whether Nurkic would return for Game 2, with each team taking Monday off from formal practice. Nurkic missed the final seven games of the regular season with a nondisplaced fracture in his right leg.


Without him, the Warriors had their way in the paint.


Green finished with quite the line: 19 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, five blocked shots and three steals in a game featuring 22 lead changes - 15 of those in the third quarter.


When Curry and Durant sit at the start of the second and fourth quarters, Green realizes he and the second unit must establish a defensive energy. They did just that in the fourth quarter, and it sparked a 15-2 run on the offensive end.


Exactly what Warriors coach Steve Kerr had in mind.


''He said the defensive intensity of this lineup could change the game for us,'' Green said. ''So we went to it earlier in the year when KD was still healthy and it started working for us. Getting back to it at this point in the season, we knew the offense was there. We had 88 points at the end of the third quarter, but the problem was they had 88 points. So we knew we had to come out and get stops if we were ever going to pull away in that game.


''That group did it, and then we were able to knock down some shots, but it started with our defense.''


Lillard and McCollum combined to go 28 for 54, the rest of the team just 12 of 39 - Maurice Harkless 5 for 13 and Allen Crabbe 1 of 5.


Green, David West and JaVale McGee made things challenging most of the afternoon for the Blazers.


There's plenty of trash talk being thrown around, too, especially from Green. But when Green missed a dunk, McCollum let him have it.


''He told me I need to do more calf raises,'' Green quipped.


For Lillard, it's all in good fun, with some added motivation.


''It's just going to make me raise the level of my game because I take it as a challenge,'' he said.


Stotts will be satisfied with whatever gets his players going. All of them - not just Lillard and McCollum again.


''Hopefully they don't get 75 points between them in Game 2, but they might,'' Kerr said, ''that's how good they are.''

 

[CNOTES]

Monday's Sports in Brief
April 18, 2017


HOCKEY


In Toronto, Tyler Bozak's tip-in put a charge into the Air Canada Centre. Ditto with Nashville when the Predators scored in OT for another win over Chicago.


They had some extra fun in Boston and Calgary, too, before Ottawa and Anaheim finally broke through.


There are few thrills quite like overtime playoff hockey, and the NHL hasn't had a night with this sort of excitement in more than 30 years. All four postseason games went to OT on the same day for the first time since April 10, 1985, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The only other time it happened before that was April 11, 1980.


''Those are the most fun games to play, definitely'' Bozak said.


There's been fun to go around in these playoffs.


Eleven of 24 postseason games have gone to overtime in the first round, including all three games between Toronto and Washington and two between Ottawa and Boston. All eight first-round series have included at least one OT finish. The record for an entire postseason is 17 overtime games in 2013.


BASKETBALL


SAN ANTONIO (AP) Memphis coach David Fizdale blasted the officiating in Game 2 of the Grizzlies' first-round series against the Spurs, deeming it ''unprofessional'' and ''unacceptable'' before slamming his fist on a table and storming off.


San Antonio held off a late rally to beat Memphis 96-82 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round matchup.


Fizdale said the veteran crew of Danny Crawford, Rodney Mott and Bill Spooner ''did not even give us a chance'' to even the series. After initially saying he needed to ''have a glass of wine on the plane'' to analyze what happened, Fizdale unleashed a nearly two-minute tirade during a postgame interview that grew increasingly louder.


''It was a very poorly officiated basketball game,'' Fizdale said. ''Zach Randolph, the most rugged guy in the game, has zero free throws, but somehow Kawhi Leonard had 19 free throws?''


Leonard had a postseason career-high 37 points and made all 19 free-throw attempts. The Grizzlies took 15 free throws as a team against San Antonio's 32 even though Memphis attempted 35 shots in the paint, 17 more than the Spurs.


''I'm not a numbers guy, but that doesn't seem to add up,'' Fizdale said.


CHICAGO (AP) - The trial is underway for a former Boston Celtics basketball player accused of receiving guns that were stolen off a freight train in Chicago.


Forty-three-year-old Nate Driggers looked on during opening statements. A prosecutor held up one of the guns and told jurors Driggers dealt in stolen goods.


The theft of around 100 new handguns, valued at $50,000, occurred on April 12, 2015, at a South Side rail yard. Prosecutors say the thieves were street gang members and delivered 30 guns to Driggers the same day.


A defense lawyer said the government's main witnesses are the thieves themselves who have reason to lie in hopes of reduced sentences.


Driggers' career in the NBA was brief. He played in about a dozen games for the Celtics in the 1996-97 season.


COLLEGE FOOTBALL


HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (AP) - A former NFL agent has pleaded guilty to violating North Carolina's sports agent law by providing thousands of dollars in improper benefits to three former Tar Heels football players to entice them into signing contracts with him.


Terry Watson, 43, of Marietta, Georgia, entered his plea in a deal to resolve 3+-year-old felony charges. Watson received 30 months of probation and a $5,000 fine, while Judge Graham Shirley issued a suspended jail sentence of six to eight months.


Watson pleaded guilty to the 13 counts of athlete-agent inducement for providing roughly $24,000 in cash and travel accommodations to eventual NFL players Robert Quinn, Marvin Austin and Greg Little in 2010. A felony obstruction of justice charge for not providing records sought by authorities was dismissed as part of the deal.


He was one of five people facing charges in the case, four of whom were in the same courtroom Monday.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - A Santa Clara County judge has dismissed a rape charge against former San Francisco 49er Ray McDonald after prosecutors said the woman who made the allegation refused to testify.


Judge David A. Cena dismissed the charge - one count of rape of an intoxicated person. Santa Clara County prosecutor Chris Lamiero said in a statement he tried to convince the victim to testify, but she refused.


The woman said she slipped and fell on a pool deck at McDonald's San Jose home in December 2014 and continued to fall after that because of her initial head injury and alcohol consumption. She accused McDonald of carrying her upstairs to his bedroom and sexually assaulting her.


McDonald faced a maximum of eight years in prison.

 

[CNOTES]

Overall Picks of the Day:
Date W-L-T % Units Record


04/17/2017 1-3-0 25.00% -1150
04/16/2017 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
04/15/2017 6-2-0 75.00% +1900


Best Bets Daily:
Sides / Totals


04/17/2017..................1 - 1...............-1.10..................0 - 2 - 2.20
04/16/2017 .................2 - 2..............- 0.20..................1 - 2 - 1.20
04/15/2017..................3 - 0.............+ 3.00..................1 - 2 - 1.20




TUESDAY, APRIL 18


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


MIL at TOR 07:00 PM


MIL +7.5


O 194.5


CHI at BOS 08:00 PM


CHI +7.0


U 206.5


UTA at LAC 10:30 PM


UTA +9.0


U 198.5